Red Lovely Chronicles
by A Little Pirate At Heart
Summary: His ship blown off its course, Luffy soon finds his name has been written in addage to a tale that is not yet complete. But can he solve the mystery behind a secret dead men have sworn never to tell? Or will it consume him?
1. Prologue

Hello, my wonderful peoples~!

Stini is here!

It's been so long since I've last posted anything here on fanfiction.

(= TTATT = ) I so sowwie! Pwease no shooted meh!

Okay, this may be a pretty long author's note, so bear with me. What I am posting now is something I've worked on for a really long time, but never quite got right. It's a rather long alternative storyline that takes place shortly after Thriller Bark. I have talked about it on the deviantart and annoyed my friends to no end with writing and rewriting chapters. I've even posted several different versions of this up before, but took them down out of me never really knowing where the story was going.

Well, now I got the story planned out. Now I got what I hoped are well-developed characters. And now I hope you will enjoy reading this as much as I have suffered over writing it.

This is dedicated to my best friends Veronica (who helped me plot and piece together some major story problems), Clare (who took up the role as my editor), Jess (my internet wifey who told me where the story dragged and lost her interest), Chrissy (who pushed me to keep writing and took the time to compose the story's own theme song), Ryy (who designed two major characters and allowed me to use one of her OC's for the story) and I got to mention my very own fangirls Kate and Maja, just because you're so cute.

Though not the major focus of the story, this will contain pairings;  
>AcexOC<br>OCxLuffy  
>OCxGarp<br>SanjixOC  
>NamixUsopp<br>FrankyxRobin  
>And mentions of OCxThatch<p>

(= OAO =) But they're not the story's major focus! You will not have to worry about mushy-mushy-kissy-goo crap. Sure, like any story, it will have it's moments. But for me it's all about the adventure.

Criticism is always more than welcome. I've tried to keep everyone as in character as I could possibly manage. But there is always room for improvement. Just remember that if you spot any spelling or grammar errors - or if I've made any other facepalm-worthy mistakes - please do not mention them in my reviews. Instead, point them out in a private message and I will get them fixed as soon as possible.

(= ^o^ =) And, as always, read, review and please be nice.

* * *

><p><em><strong>~Prologue~<br>**_**Marineford**

"Are you angry with me, Monsieur Sengoku?" The corners of the den-den mushi's mouth twisted into a cruel smirk, as if taking on the persona of whoever spoke through it. "You've become so quiet..."

Sengoku opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His own trembling hand reached up to clasp his forehead as he slumped back into his chair, gaze flitting back to the limp body two lower-ranked marines were scrabbling to carry out.

And in a silence that was very out of his character, Garp stood with his back against the wall. His face was a ghostly pale as he scrubbed a hand over his mouth. To think that with all his experience, there was something that could still spook the old marine.

As if there were reason not to be spooked; when the sound of a pistol dropping clacked on the floor, Sengoku felt his stomach churn. Over and over he replayed in his mind, but he still couldn't make any sense of it. One moment it all seemed to be nothing—at least not something to take seriously. The next moment, a young marine had that pistol in his mouth. The trigger was pulled. The sharp pop of the gunshot still tolled in Sengoku's ears.

—"Perhaps another example is in order?"

Sengoku looked down at the den-den mushi with a desire to smash it. Instead, he finally managed to take the receiver in his hand again and rasp: "That's enough..."

"Enough?" There was no attempt to disguise it. Obviously, it was the voice of a young man. His speech clipped in the manner of an aristocrat. "My dear Monsieur Sengoku, depending on your actions, this is only the beginning."

The scent of blood had cloyed the air. Chills seized Sengoku even through his rage. "You're insane."

"You have no idea," the voice drawled. "I happen to be as nutty as a squirrel." he added, sounding as if he were pleased with himself. "But does that give more reason to take my actions as those of a villain, or less?"

Sengoku narrowed his eyes.

"I will say this," said the voice. "I do these things because _I can_."

"You think you can play with us?" Garp bit out his words before stomping over to the desk.

"Garp! Be quiet!" Sengoku snapped.

"My, my, Monsieur," said the voice. "Do you wish to carve my gravestone?" His tone was playful, like a child. "I can understand why."

Garp was seething. And the last thing Sengoku needed was for whoever-it-was antagonizing the vice admiral. Just knowing that Garp would open his mouth to retort, Sengoku held up a hand, hoping he'd keep quiet.

Surprisingly... it worked!

Garp stood stiff, grinding his teeth.

"It's very simple, Monsieur," said the voice. "If you want me to go away, just give me what I want."

It was then Garp cast Sengoku a warning look, his nostrils flared like a bull's as he exhaled heavily through his nose. He wasn't about to let this go on for much longer.

Sengoku was breathing for calm. _So much at stake. _"There's no way in hell we'll do _that_!" He spoke in a low, gruff tone. With the receiver in one hand, the other hand balled into a fist, fingernails biting into the flesh of his palms.

"Merde." The snail frowned. "It seems you still have not yet learned your lesson, Monsieur Sengoku." Though he still held that eerie calm, there was malice in his tone. "I am not one to make threats and not go through with them."

"That's it!" Garp slammed his fist on his desk, only mere inches from the den-den mushi. The wood of the desk cracked, but the entire room seemed to shake at the force. "You think we're just going to take this?"

The master of the voice was undaunted. "You have quite a temper, Monsieur..."

"Better watch how you talk to me, you little—"

Sengoku placed a firm hand on Garp's arm. "Enough."

"Aw, he's just upset, Monsieur." he added, sounding as if he were pleased with himself. "It's laughable, really. To think that everything has fallen right into your laps and you do nothing about it—"

"I said enough!" Sengoku snapped.

"It is your own fault if you do not believe me," said the voice. "If I have no choice but to take what I need by force, then so be it."

Lightning streaked the skies outside, punctuating that voice's words. A not-so-subtle sign that a storm was coming.

* * *

><p>P.S.<p>

Okay, don't hate me for this. I should have mentioned the first two posts are meant to be very vague about what's going on. Just keep reading and everything will be revealed in later chapters.


	2. Arc 1, Chapter 1

**~Arc One, Chapter One~  
>Somewhere on the Grand Line<br>Two days later**

Ace's dark gray eyes fluttered open... consciousness was slow to come. He found himself staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling, watching a fan as it spun around and around.

_Where am I...?_ he thought deliriously as his fever raged. His memories were dim, all blurred together into something more like a nightmare. The horrible sounds, the screams that filled Impel Down night and day tolled distantly in his ears. He ruthlessly stamped them out.

In that feverish haze, Ace tried to gauge his surroundings. He seemed to be lying in a large bed, cushioned by softness. It was warm, too. Combined with the sound gentle sea, the scent of the breeze blowing in through a nearby open window, it nearly lulled him back to sleep. Impulse forced him up.

A strangely dulled sensation of pain spiked as he moved, shoving himself into a sitting position. It probably wasn't the best of ideas.

Dizzy.

His world was spinning.

He propped himself against the carved headboard and squeezed his eyes shut, catching an unhealthy rattle within his chest as he breathed out. More confirmation that moving was a very bad idea. Still, he ignored it and shoved the comforter aside, swinging his legs to hang over the side of the bed—

And he let out a long, weary groan at the sound of chains and the feel of the seastone cuff that had been locked loosely around his ankle.

So, wherever he was, he was still a prisoner?

"Shit...!" Ace rasped as he stabbed his fingers into his thick raven hair. His voice was hoarse and his throat felt raw.

He bent forward, taking the long chain in his hand and giving it a tug. Though not exactly what he wanted to wake up to, it was better than the alternative. That dank cell had been replaced by a somewhat luxurious room. His wounds had been tended to, cleaned and bandaged. He had also been redressed in pants made of red silk—the matching shirt had somehow ended up wadded behind one of the pillows.

Giving an estimate, the chain was certainly long enough for him to move about the room. As for leaving the room—

Up. On his feet, he rocked a little. He might not have been able to leave, but he could at least get a better idea of where he was. Though he could faintly hear the ocean, he couldn't feel whatever this place was rocking ever-so-gently. So, it couldn't have been a ship, right?

Balance pending, he gave one uneasy step after another, staggering towards the open window. It was no ship's porthole; glass panes had been set into large frames. There were even little decorative etchings of gold in the wood. Obviously a display of wealth. Ace rested his palms on the windowsill to steady himself. His legs felt shaky under him, about ready to give out. _Just a look..._

He looked out, having to strain his eyes with how bright the daylight was. Something he had thought he'd never see again with how long he'd been in the darkness. It almost made him smile as he watched the sunlight dance off the surface of a calm sea, creating dazzling reflections. The sky and the water took on vibrant shades of blue.

Yet there was no sign of land.

This made Ace's brows knit. He leaned out just a little, trying to see if there was anything he could have missed, soon gaping as he looked left, then right again. All he found was a wall of rivets and black iron. The wall stretched farther than he could see on both sides of his window. With one look down—_way_ down—he saw where the water cut the wall off. There was a ripple, a wake forming beneath.

"What the...?" was what he tried to murmur to himself before he was cut off by a sudden blare of a horn. It came with a blast, echoing and even making the glass panes tremble. Ace's hands shot up to defend his poor ears as he stumbled back, catching the back of his foot on a rug and toppling over.

His backside hit the floor hard. "Fucking, damn it!"

Well, after that he was definitely wide awake. His heart thumped heavily in his chest—

Behind him. Someone was laughing.

…

**The Florian Triangle  
>Two weeks later<strong>

"It's not that I'm suddenly having doubts about our navigator or anything—but...!" Usopp's words were lost as the water surged over him.

A hurricane was brewing, boiling the seas with a ferocious power. It had been lashed onto near-placid waters from seemingly nothing at all. Within minutes of lazily drifting into a dense patch of fog, the wind was tearing through the rigging. Rain fell in drenching torrents.

Bounding across the slick, shifting deck, Luffy lost his footing once—_twice_—before finally slipping back, landing hard on his rear. With a harsh breath, he blinked through the haze. Visibility was minimal, but he could still make out the dark shadows that loomed all around. He watched as mountains of water rose, towering over the _Thousand_ _Sunny_ to toss her about as if she were their plaything.

His heart hammered in his chest. He thought he could hear it thumping in his ears. Even though he and his shipmates had witnessed the raw fury of these storms before, something about this particular storm felt... _off_.

Not even Nami, with her ability to sense these sorts of things coming, caught any hints of a warning. Now, her shrieking commands were barely heard—

"Sanji-kun!"

Luffy heard that.

"Leave it to me, Nami-san!" Sanji stood at the helm, a soaked cigarette dangling from his lip. As bolts exploded, streaking across the sky, those blinding flashed highlighted the concentration in his face. He strained to get the wheel to turn.

_Thud, thud, thud..._ Clusters of rock that loomed unseen within near pitch-black waters punched at the _Thousand Sunny_'s side. She bumped along, the slightest impact causing her hull to shudder.

"Damn it, Cook!" Zoro snapped, teetering for balance as he fought to reef the mainsail. A strong gust had already left the canvas in tatters. "Steer the damned ship!"

"Shut it, Moss Head! I'm trying!" Sanji snapped back.

The ship groaned, protesting her rough handling as she dipped again. Steering wasn't doing heranygood.

Soon enough, Franky came busting onto the deck, the storm catching the door as it flew open. If the rocking of the ship seemed bad below, he was certainly in for a surprise outside.

"What the hell is going on out here?" he shouted, steeling his bulky body against the force of a strong gale.

"The current's too strong!" Sanji shouted back. "The helm won't budge!"

The _Thousand_ _Sunny_ plunged into a trough, waters high around her. Lines suddenly snapped, thrashing about in the fury of the wind. Ropes that had secured the sails came undone. The mainsail unfurled, capturing a powerful gust of wind. It was enough to make the ship lurch forward, the mast began to creak. The entire ship gave an agonizing moan.

"Not good! Not good! Not good! _Not good_!" Usopp wailed; he and Chopper had clung to the mast like drowning animals. It might have been the only thing they could do to keep from being bucked right off the ship. "This can't be happening!" The marksman's eyes were squeezed shut. "It's all just a dream! This is all just a _very bad dream_!"

"A dream? Really?" Chopper breathed a sigh of relief, though his grip never loosened. "Just a dream..."

Another thunderclap. It cracked like an explosion, lightning briefly chasing the darkness away. It made Franky hunch his head. "This is really bad!" His gaze slid to Nami. "Should we try to escape using the Coup de Burst?"

"We can do that?" Usopp's head snapped up, his expression hopeful. "Please tell me we can do that!"

"It won't work!" Nami gritted out.

Usopp then shrieked. "Tell me you're kidding!"

"I don't see an end to these currents!" Nami bit out the words, her frustration clear. "Even if we used the Coup de Burst, I don't think—"

Waves crashed over them, smashing into the deck. The pirates scrabbled for anything that could keep them anchored.

Luffy was knocked of his feet once again, and then swept to one side of the deck. His back smashed into the railing, hard enough to nearly knock the breath right out of him. If the impact were any harder, it felt as if he could have shattered right through, falling into the sea. That probably wouldn't have been a good thing even if he _could_ swim.

He coughed, shivering in his wet clothes. His treasured straw hat had slid right off his head, soaked and dangling by a thin string around his neck. Even he was starting to feel exhaustion creeping in as the deck pitched crazily, forcing him to brace against the rail in a half-standing position.

And it showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.

The thunder rolled. The glare of lightning faded, sending the _Thousand_ _Sunny_ back into the gloom. At first, Luffy did not notice many sounds over the scream of the wind or the heavy drum of the rain, and then he heard a faint hiss, a buzzing sound.

There was another light, a muted bluish glow. It just seemed to flicker on, glowing brighter as the buzz grew louder. His brows drew together. Craning his neck, his curious gaze turned upwards.

There, topping both masts, Luffy saw... fire.

His pale blue eyes grew wide. He and his crew watched; their expressions aghast as their Jolly Roger thrashed wildly in the soft light.

Franky's jaw slackened. "Oh, _come on_!"

"Not a dream! Not a dream!" Usopp shrieked. "We're a whole new level of totally_ fucked_!"

Had the air become colder? Gooseflesh rose on Luffy's arm as he felt a sudden chill. Like the flames of candles, those bluish sparks danced at the very tips of the yardarms. Yet they didn't seem to _burn_ as any normal fire would. They didn't spread. The heavy rain did nothing to douse them. That eerie buzzing merged with the roar of the sea.

Nami stood, grinding her teeth. "It's nothing!" she finally said. "Ignore it!"

Luffy cast his navigator an uncertain look. "But, Nami—"

"I said _ignore_ _it_!"

And then she was gone, bounding aft, vanishing into the haze. Luffy was left standing, lips pursed. His nostrils flared as he inhaled sharply. He was never one that appreciated being told what to do, no matter how dire the situation.

Brooke suddenly laughed. "Yohohohoho!"

It took Luffy by surprise. It wasn't something anyone was expecting, really. Brooke stood in the middle of the deck, his skull inclined. His stance was relaxed, as if the storm was no longer a bother to him.

"Nothing to fear," Brooke stated, quite matter-of-factly. His tone was lighthearted. "We'll be seeing the end of this soon."

"Really?" Chopper's voice trembled as he looked up.

Luffy tilted his head. "How do you know?"

"Because..." Brooke turned his head, facing his captain. He moved his hand, a skeletal finger pointing to the mast. To the fire? "We're in good hands."

"Good hands...?" Luffy felt his stomach churn. He didn't quite understand, but his musician's words left him feeling uneasy. As if a pair of unfamiliar eyes were watching him.

At first he simply turned his head. Out of the far corner of his eye, he thought he caught sight of something—or _someone_. On instinct, he twisted around, finding nothing there. The hairs on his arms and on the back of his neck stood straight.

"Don't just stand there!" he heard Nami screech. But he wasn't really paying attention.

Though his shipmates immediately sprang back to work, securing lines and bracing against the storm, everything seemed to move in slow motion to Luffy. It was almost surreal in a way, intensified by that eerie blue flame.

Something moved. Catching a glimpse of an unfamiliar shadow, Luffy whirled around. Nothing. Whatever it was, it moved. He spun around again, this time his eyes caught sight of the worn, tattered tails of a red coat.

Was the storm playing tricks on him?

The _Thousand_ _Sunny_ suddenly swung out from under his feet. He was weightless, falling, catching himself on the rail. All the while, he felt as if he were rising at the same time. His stomach knotted, roiling with the force of the ocean.

A massive wall of water had reared up, dragging the _Sunny_ up by her tail. He snaked a rubbery arm tighter around the railing as the angle became steeper. Panic sank in. The ship creaked and groaned beneath him. And all around him, he could hear his shipmates' cries.

He was afraid. He was _actually_ afraid.

It was then he felt a hand grasp his shoulder. It was cold, like ice, and rough. It sent a chill right up Luffy's back. He was shivering again.

He felt hot breath at his ear.

A gravelly rasp: "A merry life, even if it be but a short one."

_What...?_ Luffy's lips parted, but the words just wouldn't come out. That voice held an eerie familiarity to it, almost comforting in away. Both in words and in tone. He couldn't comprehend why. Swallowing hard, he moved his head, trying to give a glance over his shoulder—

The wave began to break, crashing down on top of them.


End file.
